Chapter 68: 'Portents and Shadows'

Elsewhere, in a room of marked shadow and muted light a single figure sat pensively regarding the table illuminated before her. Red lacquered nails adorning graceful ring laden hands reached elegantly across, firmly placing the deck upon the table's translucent surface.

They had served her well, time and time again, these old friends of hers, yet never was she able to suppress the slight tingle of anticipation as she prepared. Mindful of the forces she now would again dare to evoke.

Spreading then the full Seventy-eight cards face down in a majestic fan across the surface before her. Before, without pause a single card was drawn from the apex and deftly turned over.

"The present." She stated flatly. Regarding then upon the up turned surface, the well used placard baring image of an ancient fortification. Its battlements in the act of crumbling. Thrown into cataclysmic disarray by a descending bolt of lightning.

"The tower" She mused cryptically. "A house divided."

Reaching forward, again the elegant bejeweled hand drew one card from each end of the arch. Once selected both were placed side by side just below the first drawn. Forming a simple pyramid before being turned crisply over left to right.

"Here we have the current concerns which caused the division." She smoothly announced. To her left, now face up, a depiction of two nude bodies' male and female passionately intertwined.

"The lovers?" A sculpted eyebrow was raised. Barely a glance was spared now at the third card. Though she instantly noted it was the 'hanged man'.

"WHICH LOVERS?" Asked a male voice sternly from the darkened room beyond.

"Patience my lord." She sighed, concentrating upon the card to her left. At about mid point then, to the left of the apex, she then drew her next card.

"Knight of swords." A second voice, huskily feminine breathed lyrically from the darkness. Taking no surprise as the descriptor to the query was revealed. "What a shock."

"Bluntness," The seer at the table nodded in agreement. "Indicating one who is frank and out spoken or tactless and rude." She then intoned dryly. The smallest glance of annoyance, proceeded then her reversing the last selection. This time choosing a card from the right of her arc.

"The knight of cups?" She mused as the next image was revealed. "The follower of dreams and passions, one who is guided more by the wants of the moment." Eyes like polished emerald flashed coolly upwards, regarding the darkness beyond. "Taken in this context, they could but describe only one participant?"

"THAT LITTLE BASTARD!" The male's voice angrily swore. "HOW DARE HE CHOOSE THAT DRUNKEN TOMBOY OVER..."

"My lord." The woman at the table softly interrupted his righteous indignations. "If you can not master your passions, you must leave."

"Ayeka must be heart broken!" A woman with a lighter voice passionately offered. "What of her?" She then asked under some obvious emotional strain. "Ena? Is she alright?"

Deftly with both hands, the seer thus identified reached out again, drawing fresh cards from ether side of her apex.

"The ace of wands, The empress." Ena replied succinctly as each fell to light successively.

"But what does that mean?" The first woman asked distraughtly. "You know I don't understand this mumbo..."

"Without interference." Ena rapidly soothed. "She will return home, to her duties."

"Well, if that's the case." The man mused quietly as there came a sudden gasp of obvious feminine origin. Followed by the sharp sound of a slap issued in the shadows close by.

"OW!" He snapped indignant. "What the hell was that for?"

"It would seem things are moving more rapidly than anticipated." Ena sighed. Ignoring the interchange.

"What can we do about it?" The woman with the deeper feminine timber asked.

"Accelerate our time table." Ena told her siting back, regarding her audience, an enigmatic smile gracing her lips.